A Love Worth Fighting For
by Pessimistic Troll
Summary: After being found unconscious in the streets with no memory, Lydia ends up in the care of Juliet's company. After meeting a strange man at the rose ball and hearing a mysterious voice, events begin to unravel and Lydia must connect the dots before all of Neo Verona falls to ruins.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm back! For the millionth time…All you need to know is in my author's note. Thanks for the patience! Also, I'm re-editing from chapter 1 and onward. I tweaked some details and changed others. Hope you enjoy!**

I leaned against the railing, watching the actress sing her heart out while my blonde haired companion complained about his troubles._ "Why does no one appreciate the genius of my work?"_ I gave William a small smile and said _"Maybe you works are too far in the future for people of the present era to understand. Don't get me wrong, your works are always lovely to watch but not everyone has that same mindset."_ William gave a sigh and was about to speak before someone popped up behind him and said

"_Or it could be because your plays are over-written and difficult to follow." _I let out a small chuckle as Antonio appeared behind 'Odin' and agreed, which William responded by stating that no one had asked them. Cornelia then appeared and apologized for their rudeness while I took a quick look at their attire. Judging by the fact that they all seemed out of breath, with Odin's clothes being a tad bit ragged, I would assume that they went out to their daily heroics. I could just imagine how pissed of Conrad will be once he caught sight of them. One thing I learned about Juliet's group is that you never want to piss off the old man. After greeting them, they went through the secret entrance while I stayed behind with William to finish the play.

Staring at the actors for so long, I began to be distracted in the middle, my head wondering back to the day I had met Juliet. It's not something I talk about, seemingly trying to push it out of my mind. Who wouldn't after waking up abandoned in an old valley and having no memory of who you are except a name? It didn't help that I was attacked by some guards when I questioned them where I was. If Juliet hadn't come when she did….

"_Lydia? The play is over."_ Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked down to see that everyone has already left and the actors are preparing for their next play. _"Sorry, William, I didn't mean to disrespect."_ William gave me a small pat in my head along with a warm smile. _"It's alright my child, even I, the writer, have my moments."_ Smiling in return, I took his hand we immediately made our way to the stage. One thing I enjoyed once I started living with the group is helping William with his plays. Someone about the art of converting a story to the stage always fascinated me, even if the actors sometimes could be hard-headed about it. I sat down, my hands quickly writing down William's instructions as he watched the actors, Juliet and Antonio among them. It was well into the acting when William yelled stop. I looked up as he started complaining to the main actors that they were supposed to act like lovers. I held a laugh as Juliet asked if they could go now, only adding fuel to William's annoyance.

"_Maybe Odin should play opposite me." _Once those were emitted from Emilia, I burst into uncontrollable laughter. Emilia quickly asked what was so wrong with Odin fallen madly in love with her and, to hide Odin's true identity, I replied that if Odin can't act like a sheep, what chances would he have of acting like a love struck boy. Emilia quickly dismissed it but Juliet refusing her was the final straw. She quickly walked off, William shouting out where was she going when they needed to perform in less than one week, which she quickly replied that he should go finish his play first.

After helping clean up the place a little (not that there was a mess in the first place), I was approached by William. _"Lydia, could I have a moment?"_ I turned to look at him quizzically. _"Sure, is there something you need to tell me?"_His mouth quirked up which meant that this isn't going to be good for me. _"Not much to tell but request. You fit in here and I was hoping that you would write a story?"_ I was taken back. _"Write a story? If I may ask, what makes you say that?_ He gives me this smile that tells me he's hiding something behind it and says _"The art of storytelling isn't something that is given but learned. Throughout your time here, I see this look in your eyes that I myself am convinced is the same one I possess when I write my plays."_

I was still confused about the point of this conversation. He was the one who writes plays, I'm just around because the stage captures my interest. William sensed the notion of my thoughts. _"What I'm saying my dear, is that I want you to write a story and, in a few moths time, hopefully, have it performed in this very theatre."_ I had to write a play that would be performed in front of people? _"William, I don't think…."_ He shook his head while twitching his nose. _"Nonsense, now, come along, I believe Emilia wanted to talk to you about something."_

Letting out a sigh, knowing full well it was hard to argue once William sets his mind to it, I walked away and headed to where Emilia would be: her dressing room. As I was walking, I came across Juliet though for appearances sake I called him Odin. _"Odin!"_ She turned around and greeted me. _"Lydia, what are you doing here? I thought you would be with William?"_ I smiled. _"I was with him and it turns out he wants me to write a story for him so he can perform it in a month's time."_

Juliet laughed and said _"I'm glad I'm not interested in that stuff"_ I crossed my hands and said defensively, _"I don't think it's that bad. It all comes down to one's interest"._ She gave me an apologetic grin and changed the subject. _"Where are you going?" _It reminded me of the reason I was heading this way. _"William said Emilia wanted me for something though we both know how that usually ends."_ Juliet looked a little bewildered and said _"She called you as well?"_ I let out an irritable sigh, clutching my head, already have a bad feeling. _"Now whatever she needs us for isn't going to end well"_

She nodded and we both made our way to Emilia's dressing room. We knocked on Emilia's door, but when it opened, we were in shock to see her dressed like she was going to a party. _"Odin, Lydia I'm so glad you could make it. I have some really good news for you!"_ She began explaining that she, through her connections, had managed to get us into a ball. She said that the person she was going with had allowed her to bring friends and she wanted us to go with her. My first initiative to such news was to try to immediately back out of it.

_ "Emilia, it sounds fun and all but I have work for William to do…" _The second I mentioned William, she started saying that he should let me have some fun time and gave me that look that says 'I will do whatever it takes to make you come with me', clutching her hands towards her chest and pleaded_ "Come on Lydia, it's just for tonight." _I sighed, something I've been doing lately in her presence, and gave in, knowing she wouldn't stop._ "Alright but why does Odin have to dress like a girl?"_

She gave Juliet a look and said _"I don't want the men there think that they need to go through competition. Besides I think he'll look good as a girl, no offence"_ She walked towards her wardrobe, pulling out two dresses. _"I think these will look wonderful on the both of you!"_ Before either of us could protest, Emilia had pushed us into the dressing room, telling us to hurry up because the nobleman that's going to take us would be arriving soon. While we were changing, she mentioned something about needing a hat to perfect her outfit and left to go get one. I walked out of the closet and went to take a look in the mirror. Even though I detested fancy dresses with a passion, I did admit that Emilia's fashion sense was spot on. It was a light blue ball gown with black undertones, with sleeves that fluttered loosely after they reached my elbow.

_ "You look good in that dress." _I turned around and smiled at Juliet._ "Thanks though I don't see the point on going." _Juliet had the same look but, seeing as how this was one if the few times she went out in public as a girl, tried to encourage me_. "It isn't that bad Lydia. Besides, it's the first time we will actually have some fun without Conrad breathing down our necks."_

Juliet was bouncing around the room, her little monologue helping her overcome Conrad's anger. I couldn't help but smile at her antics and turned to look at myself in the mirror. _'Maybe she is right. It's been so long since I been out and one night of fun wouldn't hurt.'_ Juliet's giddiness was starting to rub off on me; I started applying some makeup and allowed my long brown hair to fall from the braid I usually had it in. I took my mask from the table, placing it on while Juliet was having her fun. I wasn't long before we were interrupted.

"_Are you ready for the ball, my sweetness?" _Juliet and I immediately focused on the door as a really large man came through, happy. This must be the patron Emilia had been talking about. His eyes zeroes in on Juliet and quickly grabbed her by the hand._ "Oh, you are really looking scrumptious, my dear! And this must be that lovely friend of yours that you've been talking about! Now come quickly my dears, we must make haste!"_

He quickly grabbed us by our hand, taking us both by surprise again, and dragged us out of the room. I didn't even want to know what Emilia would think when she found out so we tried explaining to him that he left Emilia, the one he invited to the ball. He wouldn't even let us get a word in and before we knew it, we found ourselves in a carriage as the man started talking about how delightful his evening would be with two "beautiful" women. By that point, Juliet and I had given up trying to explain to the guy and I opted to stare out the window. The night sky seemed to calm my nerves a bit and I wondered if the ball was going to be fun, if all nobles behaved like this man.

"_There's something different about you tonight, I can tell~! _Juliet quickly tried to play along with the man and I really hoped that this man was the only one who behaves this way, even if I knew that was a farfetched wish. It wasn't long before we arrived and, after stepping out of the carriage; I couldn't help but stare at the men and women dressed out for that evening. I didn't know if Juliet and I would fit in here. The men then proceeded to grab both our shoulders and lead us inside to the hall, after receiving our rose. The place was so amazing but I noticed a sudden shift in Juliet's expression as she stared up at the center of the staircase. The man excused himself and said he was going to get us something to drink.

"_Juliet?"_ My voice snapped Juliet out of her stupor. _"I've been here before…"_ I quickly became alarmed by her disbelief and said, _"What do you mean…?"_ We were then interrupted by the arrival of Montague, a man I was told was the cruelest man of all Neo Verona. I turned back to Juliet, only to see her drop her rose._ "I have to go…"_ I grabbed her hand, sensing her distress. _"Juliet, wait let me come with you." _She shook her head, pulling her hand out of my grasp._ "No! I mean, I just need a breath of fresh air, I don't want to spoil your fun Lydia."_

I was about to argue with her but the look in her eyes convinced me otherwise. She needed her space and, in time, she'll tell me what was wrong. I stepped back and told her okay. She gave me a small grateful smile and ran to get her breath. As I watched her leave, I turned around to take a glance at my surroundings. I suddenly felt a little isolated, since I knew no one there and I was pretty sure once I opened my mouth, they would know I didn't belong there. So I decided that some water would help with my nerves. On my way to the table littered with drinks, I was stopped by a young man holding his hand out towards me. His attire was like all the gentlemen here but a shade darker. What caught my attention were his dark blue eyes and I felt a sudden chill run down my spine, regardless of the seemingly innocent smile on his face.

I knew instantly that this man was good at acting but then I was brought out of my daze by the hand floating in front of me. I suddenly got mad by the lack of manners from this 'gentleman' who thought that I would dance with him without even being asked. So I looked up to give him a piece of my mind. However, my eyes once again made contact with his dark blue eyes and the words died in my throat. I tried recovering my bearing and was about to speak when he beat me to it.

_ "Dance with me." _Feeling myself blush a little, knowing from his cocky smirk that he caught me staring, I couldn't help but get a little mad at myself. Why was I allowing a man to affect me in such a way? I then remembered this man's manners and the fact that he didn't ask me to dance, just stated me to. I then quickly came up with some excuse to get me out of this situation._ "Sorry but I don't know how to dance." _This produced a chuckle from the young man but I realized through his eyes that it was forced. I couldn't help but remark_ "You know, forcing yourself to laugh doesn't mean others won't notice." _This caught him by surprise and I felt that it was my cue to go _"Now, if you'll excuse me."_

I walked by him, ignoring the stares of a few people I had gotten. I didn't even want to know who he was because everything about him screamed danger every time I caught sight of him. I tried avoiding him the best I could and realized at the same time that I couldn't help but feel awkward among so many strangers. I decided that being around Juliet would hopefully help me get out of my situation. Walking towards the garden, which I guess is where she would be, I felt someone grab my arm and start dragging me back inside. I looked up to see the fat man who brought us here with his eyes a little glazed.

_ "Come on my dear, the dance is about to start." _I tried pulling my hand out of his grasp, trying to explain that I was looking for my friend. He let out a drunken laugh._ "She's probably dancing with a young man inside. Now come on, my dear, you should enjoy your evening with me." _Before he could take one more step, I felt someone wrap their hands around my torso, causing the fat man to let go of my hand.

_ "I'm sorry sir, but this little lady has already promised me her first dance." _The young man that I had successfully avoided till now had me in his grasps and when I turned to look at him, he was glaring slightly at the fat man through his mask, a hint of a threat in them. The fat man was too drunk to even acknowledge it._ "She and her friend are at this ball because of me. I have more right to her first dance than you do." _I was about to say something but the man behind me tightened his hold on me and said_ "You don't want to cause a scene do you? How would you feel when people start talking about you forcing yourself on a young woman from a lower class no less?"_

The fat man's jaw dropped in shock while I was trying to resist the urge to snap back at my supposed 'rescuer'. The fat man snapped out of his stupor and immediately glared at my 'rescuer'. He gave up and left though reluctantly. I felt somewhat calm that he left, though Emilia would skin me alive when she found out. I felt my body relax until I heard the guy behind me chuckle. His words from earlier came back ringing in my ears and I took his hands off me. I turned around and said, _"Thank you but I could have handled it. I don't need some nobleman's help"_

He gave me a smirk, his blue eyes holding amusement in them as he said _"I'm sure you could. Now, I believe you owe me a dance."_ I heard the hint of sarcasm and couldn't help but match it with my own. _"Now why is that Mr. Nobleman?"_ He raised his eyebrows, his smirk growing. _"I think saving you is one reason."_ I placed my hands on my hips. _"And I believe I told you earlier that I couldn't dance."_ He took a hold of my hand, maneuvering us through a crowd of dancers as he said, _"I can easily teach you, you just need to follow my lead."_

He pulled my body tight against his, despite my protest. He started dancing and whispered to me where to move and when to spin. I was seriously ticked off and I really didn't want to dance with this jerk but we were surrounded by people, all of whom were watching us. I didn't want to cause a scene. However, I still didn't want to dance, much less with him, so using the fact I told him earlier I couldn't dance, I would step on his foot from time to time causing him to cringe which resulted in him strengthening his grip on me. Soon the song ended and I immediately pulled myself away from him and bowed while sarcastically saying that I had a good time. As I turned to leave I heard him say, _"I don't believe I have gotten your name."_ I glared at him and said, _"I believe you won't get one either."_

His eyes seemed to brighten at my response, finding amusement in my reluctance to be in his presence. I was going to say if he found me so funny when I remembered Juliet. I felt myself panic and walked as quickly as I could, without a glance back at the blue-eyed man. I went everywhere trying to find Juliet and even went as far as conversing with some _nobles_ to try to find out where she was. it was until this _young woman _(note sarcasm) told me she saw someone, who fit Juliet's description, just leave through the main gate with a handsome blonde gentlemen (I seriously didn't want to hear another fan girl talk about Francisco). I tried my best to say a sincere thank you while she shot dirty looks at me. What did I do to this girl to warrant such looks?

I walked away, clearly hearing how she talked to her friends about how Lord _something_ could have found interest in a _clearly uneducated girl_ like me. I clenched my hands, clearly noting that she wasn't all sunshine and smiles either. Then I tried to figure out who she was talking about. The only notable person (actually _the only person_) who I have contact with was that stranger fellow who saved (hated admitting it, especially to myself) me from the drunk man.

It just seemed that I would only get in more trouble just speaking to that man. Then I remembered about Juliet and groaned, hating that Juliet and I are in big trouble since Francisco wouldn't have come alone. Then there was the fact that I didn't have a ride home which gave me two options: either walk home through the dangerous streets or find the drunken man to give me a ride home. Obviously option one was _more appealing _than option two. So, gathering what strength I had inside me, I started making my way through the main gates. The problem was that I didn't think that the guards would interfere on my way home.

_ "Excuse me my lady but to which house do you belong to." _ I froze in my spot, clearly not knowing what I should say. The guards kept questioning me but I couldn't come up with an answer fast enough and they were getting agitated by the minute. I knew I was in big trouble and tried to find a way to escape this situation with minimal harm as possible. As I was about to run, a voice, a _very_ familiar voice said, _"She's with me" _

I turned around to meet blue eyes that, once again, contained amusement in them. The guards after seeing the emblem of whatever family this guy belonged to started quickly apologizing. The guy only waved his hand and the guards disappeared without questioning anything. I turned around, trying to ignore that smirk that he had on his face. _"When I decided to attend this gathering, I never believed I would have to save the damsel in distress several times" _

I crossed my arms, still not facing him saying but his arrogant tone started to piss me off more. _"I didn't need your help and I'm not a damsel in distress! In not one of my confrontations did I ever ask for your help!" _ I almost jumped when I felt his breath near my ear. _"You didn't need to ask, my lady, it was so clearly written all over your face"_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I suggest you reread chapter 1. Like I said before, things have changed a bit in this story and this chapter isn't going to be an exemption.**

I already hated the arrogance of this man already and I've only spent less than twenty minutes in his presence. It didn't help that he had placed himself so close to me either. _"I'm sorry you're royal highness but I believe you were mistaken. Now if you would you be so kind and give me back my personal space?"_ He wouldn't because he enjoyed seeing me uncomfortable. The asshole, instead, wrapped his arms around my waist.

_"Now, now my lady, you wouldn't want to cause a scene now do you?" _His innocent little statement really wasn't that innocent in terms of what I've seen regarding this mysterious asshole. The fact that only interacting with him would cause uproar was astounding enough. I bet if he put his mind to it, I would probably end up being more than glared at if I were to return. I'm so glad that I have this mask on. However, no matter the consequences, I struggled in his arms, trying to get the hell away from him but he was too bloody strong.

_"Excuse me sir, but I need to go..."_ He wasn't going to let me go that easily. _"Then allow me to escort you to your home."_ I instantly knew that his suggestion was not an option. I couldn't show him Will's home. The asshole would question me why I didn't have the seal and I seriously couldn't betray Curio's trust by bringing home a complete stranger. _"I don't need an escort; after all you wouldn't want to be seen with a woman of a lower class."_

I didn't forget his little comment but all I got out of him was a small laugh. _"I shall still go with you...you never know the trouble the streets might present at night."_ By the tone of his voice, I had a hunch he knew exactly what happens during nighttime. His grip on me seemed to loosen and taking advantage, I managed to put some distance between us. _"Why are you so hell-bent on going with me? Why don't you go mingle with the rich folk and leave me alone?"_

I started backing away, ready to run out of there. Now that he wasn't so close to me, I could think straight and I found it was weird, having some strange guy suddenly offer to go home with me. I suspected he was part of the "trouble the streets might present tonight". _"Look my lady..."_ Suddenly, another voice rang through the night. _"Lydia!"_

We both turned towards the sound and I quickly let out a sigh of relief when I recognized Francisco. He quickly apologized for leaving me behind and thanked the "gentlemen" before me for watching over me. I kind of noticed the guy's aloof aura had become rather cold and before I could decipher what happened, Francisco grabbed my arm and started hauling me to the carriage. I turned back to see what happened to the guy only to find that his presence had disappeared.

The ride home was rather unpleasant. It all just involved Francisco reprimanding me for my foolishness and told me that Juliet also received a similar lecture. He chastised me for my decision to attend the ball alone and that my actions had almost put Juliet in peril. I didn't even bother to correct him as he kept lecturing me. Out of all of Juliet's friends, Francisco was the most hostile towards me.

When I first met Francisco, I thought that he was a nice guy and that Curio would be the one that would protest against my presence. Four minutes of silence went by before Francisco voiced out his protest, stating that me being there would put 'Odin' in danger and it wasn't till Conrad revealed that I knew Odin was a really Juliet, that Francisco admitted defeat. That didn't stop the side glares whenever I crossed paths with him. I even avoided him in public as well, the first time serving as a lesson.

I was helping Cordelia gather some fruits when I felt someone wrap their arms around me. Turning to my left, I saw it was Francisco, who held a bright smile. However, I saw that his eyes were still cold and it wasn't long before I figured out what he was trying to do. Thousands of girls continued to glare at me, some of them with eggs in their hands. Cordelia had to shield me but I still got egged by the end of it.

"_Lydia, are you listening?!" _Snapped out of my train of thoughts, I automatically answered_, "Yes, I am"_ He didn't believe me for a second. _"No, you aren't! This is why we shouldn't even allow you to go out with Juliet. You are a liability…" _The second I felt the carriage stop, I dashed out, passing even a concerned William. Everything I did, intentional or not, was always my fault in Francisco's eyes. Conrad told me to not allow it to affect me but I live in the same place as him and every day, being tormented, just got to exhausting. I didn't know how much more of this I could take before I blew up, preferably at Francisco.

"_Lydia, what's wrong?" _My saving grace appeared in the form of Curio. Just mentioning Francisco was enough of an answer and he led me to the kitchen to offer me some water. Gulping it down quickly to hold back my tears, I asked Curio_: "Why does Francisco hate me?"_ He only let out a small sigh before sitting on the chair. _"He doesn't hate you, Lydia"_ I arched an eyebrow in disbelief and Curio quickly pointed out _"Juliet is important to us all. Francisco is just trying to make sure of that."_ I knew that but that didn't give him any right to treat me the way he does.

"_That doesn't excuse his behavior. I have done nothing wrong that would make me a liability!" _Every time we had this conversation it would usually end up with Curio saying what he was going to say now. _"Just give him time, Lydia."_ And this was the moment I let my frustration show. _"I have been here for a couple months. If he hates me now, he'll still hate me in the future."_ I excused myself, thanking Curio and headed to the room I shared with Juliet. I opened the door only to find Juliet by the windowsill, looking out into the city. I then remembered she was upset the last time I saw her.

_"How are you feeling?" _Juliet let out a sigh. _"I feel frustrated because I want to know why I have to dress like a guy." _I gave her a small smile, putting all my frustration to the side, and patted her on the shoulder._ "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. After all your 16th birthday is tomorrow and they promised to tell you then." _Juliet looked at me._ "Don't you want some answers as well?" _I was confused at what she was trying to say._ "What do you mean?" _Juliet sat down on her bed while I went to mine._ "Don't you want to know who you are, to recover your memories? Don't you want to know why no one has searched for you?"_

I look out the window, my eyes fogging up. _"Well, I do want to know but every time I try, it feels like there's some barrier over it. I'm not sure what it is but it feels like it won't disappear until something from my past triggers it."_ Juliet turned from the window, opting to look at the floor instead. I tried changing the subject to something lighter. _"So talking about the ball, what were you doing during the time while I was inside?"_

I saw her cheeks flush and I gave her a cheeky grin. _"So what's his name?"_ She looked taken back. _"What in heaven do you mean?"_ I made my way towards my bed, a smile playing on my lips. _"Come on Juliet! There wouldn't be any other reason for you to blush like that if it weren't about a boy!"_ Next thing I knew, my face met Juliet's pillow. I laughed, pulling it to the side. _"You can trust me!"_ I finally won her over._ "Alright but you must keep it a secret, even from Cordelia!"_ Juliet became startled when I stood up suddenly. I walked over her to hold out my pinky finger. _"I pinky swear"_

Juliet intertwined her pinky with mine, perplexed by my serious expression. Once I sat down on my bed again, we both couldn't help but burst into fits of laughter. _"I'm serious about that promise Juliet"_ Juliet gave me a small smile. _"I know"_ She then explained to me the mystery boy she was infatuated with. It turns out this wasn't the first time they had met. _"his name is Romeo and he found me by the fountain admiring a white iris. I was so transfixed by his eyes that it took me a while to understand that he had spoken."_

I knew by the tone of her voice. _"That is attitude of someone falling in love from first sight!"_ Juliet's cheeks turned cherry red. _"Lydia!"_ I let up on my assault. _"Alright, I'll try to stop with the teasing. So how does this fair Romeo from the ball look like?"_ She smiled softly and gave him a brief description while fighting off her blush. Her description mostly focused on his features, his light blue hair and light blue eyes that seemed to pierce her soul. This Romeo sounds awfully similar to my mystery asshole. My wondering thoughts must have shown on my face because Juliet asked

_"What are you thinking about Lydia?" _Quickly shooting my head up, with a clear blush of my face, I tried playing it off. This man and Romeo couldn't be the same person; Romeo seems much kinder than the man I met last night. I shook my head to disperse my thoughts._ "Since you were so honest with me, I'll be honest. Last night after you left, I met this man when I went to go get some water and he asked me to dance."_

Juliet chuckled a bit and once she calmed down so I could continue "_Something about him seemed off and his posture screamed arrogance so I declined his offer politely."_ Juliet only raised her eyebrows before her own pillow hit her face. She laughed and asked me to continue.

_"Then Emilia's friend popped up drunk trying to get me to dance. Then he appeared out of nowhere and helped me get rid of Emilia's friend easily though he smirked when I said I could have handled it. Then he forced me to dance with him and through some attempts that involved hitting his feet a lot, the song managed to end. Then I remembered about you and quickly left to find you, leaving him behind. Worst part of it all, I had to ask those nobles where you were until this disrespectful woman gave me this hateful look. Reason why is because I was gaining the interest of that awful man. Then when I was about to leave, the guards questioned what family I was from. The guy...ended up saving me again but he was too arrogant about it saying 'never thought I would save a damsel in distress several times tonight' and I got pissed. Then he was invading my personal space but I managed to remedy that. Then Francisco showed up, saved me from kicking the guy's ass and here we are."_

Juliet spoke after a few moments of silence. _"Did you get his name?"_ I shook my head. _"No...I'm not interested in narcissistic jerks like him."_ I looked over at Juliet as she burst out laughing and I grabbed another pillow and threw it at her. Juliet dodged it and said _"I can't believe you did that!"_ I shrugged a little saying: _"I'd rather be with you then some stranger. Though, now that I think about it, by the description you gave me of Romeo, the guy I was with could have been his older brother."_

Juliet thought about it and said, _"If we end up marrying them then that makes us sisters."_ I grabbed my other pillow and threw it in her direction and said _"It's not like I'm interested in him!"_ Juliet chuckled and said _"Then why are you talking about him?"_ I gave a quick reply. _"I'm talking about it because the way you described Romeo is about the same description as the guy who...uh...helped me out though he looks older. Besides it's not like I'm ever going to see him again"_

Julia suddenly got pretty quiet and I couldn't stop a grin from forming on my face. _"You're going out to meet him!"_ The look on her face confirmed my statement. "_I-It's tomorrow, at the Iris garden near the fallen ruins."_ Suddenly everything started to make sense. _"So that's why you didn't want me to tell Cordelia anything! Don't worry I'll distract her long enough for you to go meet your love!" _Juliet nodded and said, _"Thank you Lydia"_

Before we could continue talking, the door opened to show Cornelia who quickly told us it was time to go to bed. Juliet and I protested but Cordelia's word was law and we quickly changed our clothes and got into bed, muttering goodnight. Cordelia went over to the drawer and blew out the candle, telling us to have sweet dreams and walked out. As the door closed, Juliet whispered, _"We'll talk more in the morning, alright?"_

_"For sure, we need to plan out your secret date with Romeo"_ It was at this moment that Juliet realized she ran out of pillow to throw. _"It's not a date!"_ She was too loud. _"SHH! Keep your voice down before Cordelia comes back."_ Juliet understood what I meant. _"I can't explain this feeling my heart gets when I thinking about it." _I smiled because Juliet was finding her happiness. _"Maybe it's the blossoming emotion of love, Juliet"_ Juliet questioned me. _"What about you?"_ I quickly gave her a skeptical look. _"Whatever do you mean?" _Juliet rolled her eyes. _Don't tell me you aren't the least bit interested in your mysterious knight?"_

I suddenly got defensive. _"I'm not interested and he's not my knight. I was just some entertainment for him to alleviate the boredom that is other nobles. Besides I hate the man and his despicable behavior and wouldn't even touch him with a three foot pole."_ Juliet looked at me weirdly. _"You always have an odd way of speaking sometimes."_ I shrugged my shoulders. _"Out of habit I suppose."_ Juliet seemed to be thinking about something before turning to me.

"_Lydia, your words reminded me of something." _What could I possibly remind her of? _"What is it?"_ Juliet had this faraway look in her eyes. _"It something William told me a while back. It went something like 'hate is not a far cry from love'" _She is not insinuating that I might have feelings for that asshole. _"No way in hell, I rather put up with Francisco then fall in love with that asshole." _Juliet understood if I ever compared anything to Francisco, I was pretty serious _"Lydia…"_ I shook my head and shot her a smile, which meant there were no hard feelings. _"Let's just get _some rest."

"_Okay Ly…" _Across the room we can hear a high pitch wine._ "Go to sleep!"_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: After some minor adjustments in my life, I finally have time to edit this story (and hopefully finish it). I was going to break this chapter into 2 parts but I decided against it since it could be like an apology gift. I'm uploading this chapter because I feel like I won't be revising it at all and that you guys will have a glimmer of hope for this story.**

I opened my eyes to see a meadow of irises meeting my sight. I looked down to see that I was wearing a long flowing dress and no shoes on. A gust of wind flew by me and I clutched my dress, trying to prevent it from flying everywhere. It was then that I heard it. It was small murmurs and I turned in the direction I thought it came from.

Off into the distance was a large tree with some white spec below it. Looking around and seeing nothing besides the tree, I started walking towards it. As I got closer, I realized that the white spec I saw earlier was a cloaked figure. The murmurs started getting louder and it sounded more like the cries of a lot of girls.

The tree was huge up close, with small orbs attached to its branches. However something seemed off since the orbs seemed to dim a bit. The leaves were a sickly green and the roots seemed to be rotten. The voices that I hear seemed to originate from the tree's center. My eyes then focused on the cloaked figure as it stood up. It slowly turned in my direction. I saw a young girl with light purple hair with a really white face. She had a strange red symbol on her face with red lines on her cheeks. She seemed quite sad, almost doll-like.

"_The seed shall return to Escalus, a fate you cannot stop"_ Her blue-green cat eyes seemed to glare at me. And there was the fact she implied that I was trying to stop fate. However I didn't have any inkling about what she was talking about. _"I don't know what you are talking about! What seed?"_ Her eyes turned up to the tree as if questioning it. _"I know what's best for Escalus. You were brought here to stop the seed's fate but I shall prevent you from doing so or all of Neo Verona will fall to ruin."_

I looked down when I noticed her hands were turning grey, the same color of the roots of the tree. There was only one logical reason for that. _"You're connected to this tree. Its fate is intertwined with your own."_ This was why she must be so protective, if the tree dies then so does she. She didn't respond to my words but the aura around her was extremely dark. Before I knew it, her face was right next to mine. My eyes widened as I felt excruciate pain in my lower abdomen, looking down to see that she had impaled me with her hand.

"_You shall not stop fate, even if it ends with your death"_

I woke up and realized that everything that just happened was just a dream. I rose up and checked my stomach but there was nothing wrong. I took deep breaths to calm my heart and looked out the window to see that the sun was rising. Juliet was still sleeping and nothing seemed out of place. I was shocked by my dream and was trying to pass it off as a nightmare. However something inside me felt that what I just saw was real and I was truly in danger from whatever she was.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to fall asleep anymore without fearing that I would see the same dream again. I quickly took a bath, changed and headed downstairs. I saw that Cornelia was up and about. She turned and saw me at the entrance. _"Hey Lydia, why are you up so early?"_ I couldn't confide in Cordelia, something inside me was telling me not too.

"_I couldn't sleep really well. Is there anything I could help with?"_ Cordelia seemed to buy it, really thinking about my question. _"You could help me make breakfast."_ I helped her set the table while she made the food. She then told me to go wake Juliet and get her ready for her little birthday breakfast. I went back upstairs and saw that Juliet was still asleep. I made sure not to make any noise as I walked towards her. Once I was close I started tickling her which caused her to fall off the bed.

"_Lydia!" _I only smiled at her shocked response. _"Sorry but since it is your birthday the normal way of waking up isn't enough."_ My face met the pillow Juliet had thrown on me. I moved closer and hugged Juliet and told her happy birthday which made her smile. She quickly changed clothing and we both headed down for breakfast though only Antonio was there. Cornelia had said that she would be going to the market to get some groceries. She asked if I wanted to come and I agreed. It was better than being stuck in the same place the whole day.

We went off saying goodbye to Juliet and Antonio. As we walked the streets, Cornelia asked about how Juliet was doing. I said she was doing fine since she'll finally going to get the answers she was looking for. Cornelia seemed to agree but there was something off, though I couldn't figure out what. She changed the subject and we started talking about what to do for Juliet's birthday party.

As we were picking fruits, something caught my attention around the corner of my eyes. I looked over and I froze, seeing the man from the party. Cornelia asked what was wrong and followed my gaze to the guy. _"Do you know him, Lydia?"_ I debated whether or not I should tell her the truth for a moment before decided no harm could be done. _"I met him at the Rose ball last night though I never got his name."_

Cornelia secretly smiled and nudged me and said _"Then you should go over and ask him for it" _I looked at her stupefied._ "I don't think so...besides something tells me he isn't a good guy" _Cornelia gave me a look and said_ "You shouldn't judge someone by appearances, Lydia. Now, you march over there and talk to him."_

She pushed me towards his direction and pointed. I stuck my tongue out at her which caused her to laugh at my childish antics. I started walking towards him, passing through the crowds. When I was halfway there, I saw him looking at me with a smirk on his face. As much as I wanted to punch him, I held myself back, wouldn't want to catch the guards' attention. I walked towards him and he bowed down and said

_"Good morning, my lady." _I bowed as well and said_ "Good morning, sir." _He crossed his arms leaning against the wall and said_ "May I ask what graces me with your presence?" _I turned and pointed at Cornelia_ "She wanted me to come over here to ask for your name." _He seemed amused and when I glanced at Cornelia, who was looking at us, she was blushing while shooting me a glare.

_"Well, since you ask me for my name, shouldn't you give the same courtesy?" _The bastard heard Francisco scream out my name, but for the sake of being polite… _"I'm Lydia" _Instead of shaking my hand, which I thought he would, he placed a kiss on it_ "I'm Tybalt" _I turned the other way, trying to hide the blush that suddenly rose on my cheeks as I quickly removed my hand. I can't believe he could get a reaction out of me. I tried to start a conversation to distract him from my blush.

_"So, Tybalt, why did you ask me to dance when there were other girls in the ballroom?" _His smirk grew and said_ "You're the only one who interests me." _I felt something not entirely bad which confused me. To avoid the awkward situation, I tried to find Cornelia but after a couple of minutes I realized she was gone.

_"Well, sir, I imagine there are others around who would interest you more than I do. Now I must go since my guardian appears to have disappeared." _I bowed and started walking away but he had to have the last word._ "I'll see you again, Lydia"_

I turned around; going to reply but...again he mysteriously disappeared. I looked all over the alley, wondering how the hell he managed to disappear so fast. I didn't find anything, and gave up, wondering why I felt a bit of anticipation because of his words. I got out of the alley and made my way straight home. Once I was past the secret entrance I started trying to find Cornelia. She was currently in the kitchen, working on Juliet's cake.

_"Why did you leave me alone out there?" _Cornelia turned from the batter and said_ "I thought you and the guy needed some personal time. After all, you pointed to me when you were talking to him" _I sat down on the chair and said_ "The guy is the physical embodiment of arrogance Cornelia. He said that I'm interesting to him and that we would see each other again." _Cornelia smiled and said_ "Well, you have something to look forward to."_

I raised my eyebrow, questioning her statement and said _"No I don't, I'd rather that I never see him again! I'm probably just some fun toy to pass time for him."_ Cornelia noticed I didn't want to talk about him and said, _"So, have you started writing that story of yours?"_ I was surprised and said _"How did you know about that?"_

Cornelia went back to mixing the batter and said, _"William told me to remind you of it. He said that you had a couple of weeks to finish it before he comes down here himself and makes you finish it."_ I placed my head on the table and said _"I don't understand why he wants me to write something for him. He's the writer!"_ Cornelia chuckled and said, _"Maybe he wants an apprentice, you know, someone to take after him once he's gone"_ I shook my head. _"That's what children are for, if only William can find a girl that can stand his over dramatic attitude for 2 seconds"_

Cornelia looked at me and said _"You sound just like his mother. Besides shouldn't go saying stuff like that about William's courtship skills."_ I stuck my finger into the bowl, grabbing some batter while Cornelia gave me her best disapproving glare. _"Well, it's true. However if a girl can stand him, doesn't that mean he's met his match?"_ Cornelia smiled. _"Point taken, now be back once Juliet gets here. Her cake will be ready by then."_

I nodded and when upstairs to my room. I took some paper and pencils and decided to get William off my back. I thought about what I was going to write about but nothing concrete came to mind. Suddenly an image of two trees popped up, one of them I recognized as the tree from my dream. All of a sudden one of the trees seemed to die off leaving the other all alone. I was suddenly pulled out of my daydreaming when I heard the door open. I turned around to see Juliet, dressed as the red whirlwind, with a bandaged arm. I dropped my pencil and quickly walked over to her

_"What happened?" _Juliet smiled a little and said_ "It's only a cut from saving a group of girls. Lancelot stitched it up for me." _I knew she was going to be okay but I continued questioning her about it, worried. Juliet brushed it off and went to her side of the bedroom. I turned to look at Juliet but she was staring at the stack of papers on the desk.

_"Did I interrupt your writing?" _I quickly made my way over there and looked at the desk. I don't remember ever writing anything but quickly grabbed the papers and placed them in a drawer._ "It's alright…uh…I can finish this later." _Juliet came over. _"Can I see it?" _I grabbed the papers and hid them behind my back_ "You know what William says, you should never show an unfinished work"_

Juliet's eyebrow rose but she let it go. Juliet said that Cornelia wanted us both downstairs. I put the papers under my pillow and walked out of the room so Juliet could change. I walked down the staircase to see Conrad at the bottom of the stairs but something seemed kind of off about him.

_"Conrad, what's wrong?" _He looked up at me. _"We'll be taking Juliet somewhere with us after we celebrate." _I looked confused a bit confused due to his expression._ "Okay" _Conrad looked me straight in the eye, seriousness lurking within them._ "Lydia, I'm sorry but you can't come with us" _I asked, _"This has something to do with the secret you held from her". _Conrad nodded and I bowed my head_. "I understand"._

I walked towards the kitchen leaving Conrad at the stairs. We celebrated Juliet's birthday and we all took a slice of the cake to eat. After that, Conrad told Juliet that they would be going somewhere to show her something. They all followed Juliet except me. Juliet didn't notice but Francisco turned said they would be returning in a late. I nodded and said goodbye.

As I saw them leave, I picked up the dishes and washed them. Once that was done, I went upstairs to take my papers and gave them a quick look over. It described the life of two people who tried to be together but an unfortunate event had caused one of them to die. The other suffered from the loneliness the other's death had caused. Something stopped me from reading any further and I decided that I might as well turn it in to William. It didn't take long to find him with Emilia, arguing about some nonsense.

_"William?" _He looked up, _"Lydia, what can I do for you?" _I gave him the stack of papers. _"Well, this is the play you wanted me to write but I can't take full credit on it" _William looked at them. _"Why?"_ I rubbed my head and said _"Well, this might sound weird but I wrote this without remembering writing it and I feel like I might have copied it off someone else." _William nodded._ "Well, I look it up and see if belongs to someone else. I imagine if it does, it may spark you to remember your forgotten memories." _I smiled at him. _"Thank you, William."_

I said goodbye to them both and decided some fresh air would do even if it was dark. The streets of Neo Verona were different in the night time; there were neither guards out nor people walking the streets unless you walked in the bad parts. I headed in no particular direction and thought about Juliet. I guess the secret is serious if I couldn't hear it especially since I was trusted with her secret about being a girl even though Antonio didn't know. I looked up to see that I reached a grove of trees and headed towards it. As I walked in, I felt a pair of hands grab me.

_"Well, what do we have here?" _I turned to see some drunken guy there and I tried snatching my hand from his grasp. _"Let me go"_ He pulled me towards him and said _"I don't think so, I'll give you the money afterward"_ I slapped him as hard as I could but his grasp on me didn't go. He got angry and the moment he was about to backhand me, a cloaked figure appeared, his knife towards the man's neck.

_"I suggest you let the young lady go" _The drunk immediately did and throughout apologies before leaving. I turned to say my thanks when I connected with similar blue eyes._ "Is that you, Tybalt?" _He pulled the cloak of his head. _"This is the second time I saved you from a drunk." _I gave him a small smile._ "Thank you though I figure this being a coincidence is a bit far-fetched."_

He smirked. _"Do you truly believe I'm following you around?" _I crossed my arms and started counting them off. _"Well, we met at the Rose ball where you saved me from a drunk. I saw you at the market place and, a few hours later, you're saving me again though we are in a place a few only go to."_ He chuckled. _"If I were to say I was following you around, what would you do?" _I crossed my arms and looked at him_. "Then I'll be inclined to ask why?"_

He took a step forward and said, _"I'm protecting a certain person and will wait until the right moment to reveal myself. You just happen to be in the same place."_ I looked at him a bit confused. _"Who are you protecting because I'm the only one here? And who protects someone from the shadows?"_ Tybalt's gaze seemed to flicker with something I couldn't comprehend. _"It's best I don't reveal myself at the present moment. It's not the right time just yet."_

He grabbed my hand and lightly pulled on it, signaling for me to follow him. _"Let's go"_ I wouldn't move. _"Hold on a second, how do I know that you're not just dragging me to some lair you reside in to torture me?"_ I was surprised to hear him chuckle and I was suddenly pulled close to him. I felt my face flush again and I took a step back. _"Don't worry, if such thoughts had crossed my mind I had plenty of opportunities earlier."_

I took a deep breath and muttered, _"That's not helping your case here and how can I exactly trust you?"_ We continued walking; I noticed we were heading towards my home. _"I can't prove to you that you could trust me. It's up to you to decide"_ I felt myself feel confused a bit. _"Why do you want me to trust you?" _He turned to stare at me with his dark blue eyes. _"You really intrigue me a bit Lydia"_

We continued walking until he stopped in front of William's place and placed a chaste kiss on my hand. _"I must go now. I have other business to attend to. It was fun playing your knight, Lydia. Until we meet again…"_ I was bit stunned and gazed his retreating figure. What did he mean by all that? I clutched my head, shaking it to dispel some of my thoughts until I realized something. I felt my body freeze up for a moment: How did he know where I live?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4 on the way, hopefully I try to manage to finish this story up to chapter 12 before the July. Well, that was the plan before I started working on Ezio to refresh my mind. **

It would appear the weather decided to reflect my mood at the moment: turmoil. How the hell did he know where I live? Did he know about the secret entrance? Did I inadvertently put Juliet's life and those who live here in danger? I could never forgive myself if they were put in harm's way! A flash of lightening brightened the room through glass, the rain pouring harder. It was only a momentary distraction before my thoughts consumed me once more.

I paced back and forth from my room, pondering over Tybalt and what I knew so far about him. He was protecting someone who had to be close to me, otherwise why protect me at all? However, the problem was figuring out who could that someone be? I stopped for a second, looking at the reflection in the mirror. 'No. I thought; shaking my head...it couldn't be me. He told me it was fun playing my knight.' Besides we only recently met and as far as I know or remember, we have never met before. I sighed, feeling a bit down for some reason while pacing again, my face contorting to a frown. I almost..._almost_ felt disappointed which was weird. I shook my head telling myself that it didn't matter, I had to focus on the main problem and solve...whatever _that_ was later.

So, getting back to the point, if I wasn't the person he is protecting...then it has to be either William's family or Juliet's. I mean, speaking realistically, they're essentially the only people who reside here and it seems more likely one of them could be since the only reason he could be protecting me was because I was close to whomever he was supposed to protect.

However William's family, though well connected, didn't need hidden bodyguards since, for public appearances, they were close to the Montague family. So that only left Juliet's but who among them would he be protecting and how did he know that they resided here of all places?

I jumped unto my bed, my face landing firmly on the pillow, trying to run over all the facts and details. 'Should I tell Conrad about this?' If I don't, then I would feel like I was betraying them but if I do, won't I be condemned for allowing a stranger to follow me straight to them? My face softened with my next thought. But...he was protecting us so he couldn't have been a bad man and he had rescued me several times through our coincidental meetings. However, he could also be tricking me by trying to gain my trust then stab me in the back when I was no longer of use...

I let out a muffled scream, trying to stop myself thinking too much. Why does the thought of him back stabbing me hurt so much? I only met him in the span of days and yet I would feel betrayed if he wasn't the good guy. And there was this inexplicable coldness around him...something that he seems to keep hidden through indifference towards others but why would that disappear when I interacted with him? What could have happened to him to bring him to such a state? Why did I care?

I couldn't handle my thoughts anymore, knowing full well that if I keep going like this I'm going to end up more frustrated than I already was. Why was this happening to me? I have no recollection of my past and the next thing I know, I'm thrust into this huge mystery...Juliet's secret...Tybalt's knightly duties to someone in the group and this feeling that I'm supposed to do something about this. I focused on the rain, willing it to empty my thoughts as it dropped. It was at that moment, seconds before I was going to be swallowed alive by my thoughts that I heard the door open, followed by footsteps.

I get up and make my way downstairs only to find an unconscious Juliet in Francisco's arms. I quickly made my way towards her, any previous thoughts flying out the window except why Juliet was unconscious. _"What happened? Is she going to be all right?" _ Curio placed his arms around my shoulders and spoke calmly to me. _"She only fainted from shock, Lydia; she'll be alright with a moment's rest". _ I shook my head, watching Francisco carry Juliet upstairs.

_"Why did she faint in the first place?" _I looked at all their faces and realized that it had something to do with what they revealed to her. _ "Okay, you don't need to tell me. I'll just go upstairs and stay with her until she wakes up...and you don't have to worry...I won't question her about what happened..." _I bowed to them and made my way towards my room when I felt someone grab my arm. Before I could turn around I heard Antonio speak up.

_"Lydia has a right to know what's going on. She's proven that we can trust her!" _I turned a bit surprised at Antonio reclamation and turned to connect with Conrad who was observing me with a serious question. _"You should head up and rest, Antonio, I'll talk to Lydia alone." _

Antonio appeared to be ready to say something else but I placed my hands on his shoulders, kneeling so I was face to face with him. I gave him a small smile. _"It's alright Antonio, if he doesn't want to tell me what's going on than it is with good reason, alright?"_ He slowly nodded though it appeared he wasn't that much convinced. Once all of them left, Conrad motioned for us to sit. I had gotten a bit nervous, noticing that Conrad had not in the least dropped his 'this is beyond serious and I'm not sure I should tell you' face. He let out a sigh and spoke seriously

_"Lydia, you have been a companion to us ever since we discovered you without your memory. You've never shown signs of betrayal but I'm still reluctant due to your unknown past and your previous allegiances. However, it is no longer up to me to tell you the truth. That rests on the shoulders of Juliet. Do you understand this?"_

I nodded my head in understanding. _"Yes I do, Conrad. However given the circumstances I'm guessing that I have to wait until Juliet tells me herself."_ Conrad nodded in agreement while I looked down, my previous thoughts entering in my mind. What do I do? Next thing I know, Conrad places his hands over mine, which were currently clenched.

"_Lydia, it is not that I don't trust you. I just can't bear the thought of having to involve you in this when you don't know who you are. You must think carefully before asking Juliet because this is a heavy burden and I fear, should your memory come back, that you would be torn between going home and staying here to help." _I calmed myself down, squeezing his hands. _"Thank you Conrad."_

At that moment, Cornelia came in, asking for my assistance in changing Juliet. I bid goodnight to Conrad before going to help. Once the task was done, Cornelia had asked me to watch over Juliet, making sure that she did not develop a fever overnight. I was soon left to my thoughts once more. 'Juliet must be the one he is protecting'. There was no other explanation. 'Did that mean he knows Juliet's real identity?' My first immediate thought was that Juliet was in danger until I realized something. If Tybalt knew Juliet's identity, why didn't he turn us in? Conrad always warned Juliet to never be caught, especially as the Red Whirlwind.

I decided not to tell anyone about Tybalt…at least not until Tybalt does something that might endanger Juliet. It would appear I wasn't the only one with troubling thoughts. Whatever haunted Juliet was shown clearly on her face as she slept. It reminded me that my problems aren't as huge as Juliet's. Grabbing her hand and squeezing it would, hopefully, helps her relax. I stayed like that all night, especially when Juliet developed a fever around midnight.

When I went downstairs to get more water, I ran into Francisco. I didn't say anything and went to the sink to pour the water out. There was no doubt in my mind that he had _overheard_ the conversation. He was probably more suspicious over the fact that _I wasn't insistent _on knowing Juliet's secret. _"Instead of just standing there, you might as well let out some steam. I'm used to it of its coming from you and frankly I'm not in the mood so could you hurry this along?" _

I was met with complete silence. Fine, he wasn't going to say anything that neither was I. I poured some new cold water in the bowl and was going to carry it to Juliet's room when he stood in my way. _"I gave you time Francisco to insult me. You've lost the chance and if you didn't get it, I'm watching over Juliet so she doesn't develop a fever. You are only raising that chance by blocking the entrance." _He glared at me, apparently trying to find something. As usual, I stood there facing him head on. I didn't have anything to hide from him.

We would have kept at it too, if Curio hadn't come along. _"Francisco, drop it."_ Francisco reluctantly moved aside, allowing me to go through. _"I was only making sure she wasn't poisoning Juliet." _That certainly did it. The next moment, Francisco found himself wet and a red handprint on his cheek. _"You know what asshole? I am done taking your shit! Ever since I got here I've heard nothing but insults from you and I am sick and tired of it! You've won now! I am gone!" _ Before either of them could react, I ran out.

I couldn't stand being near him anymore and if he wasn't going to put the effort to get along, then I was leaving. I ran past a shocked William and into the streets I went, not caring about the rain or in which direction I went. There were no guards around, not that it would have mattered. I only stopped when I ran out of breath, slumping against the wall next to me. Everything came rushing in my mind at once, leaving me close to tears.

Why was I sent here? Why did I have to put up with any of this? Why did I lose my memory? All of a sudden, it started coming all out. I spent hours there, bawling my eyes out. What was I going to do now? I couldn't go back. I could never go back. Francisco was an insensitive bastard and I knew that he wasn't going to stop just because I ended up crying, instead he would chalk it up with the list that he has against me.

Maybe it was best that I disappeared from their lives. Maybe I shouldn't have been a part of it in the first place.I took a look at my surroundings, finally realizing that I was under a bridge next to the river. I was alone. A sudden thought came across my mind. Did Tybalt follow me, here? I looked around but nothing stood out. He couldn't have, I'm not the one he's protecting. That was Juliet…

My thoughts crashed down on me again. What have I done? I ran out without thinking of Juliet! When she wakes up and finds me gone, she'll be riddled with worry. The last thing I wanted was to put Juliet under more distress than she already was! What kind of friend was I? I have to go back and face Francisco for Juliet's sake.

I was getting up to go when something snaked around my ankle. I looked down to see that it was a tree root. Where did it come from? Before I could think any further the root pulled on me, causing me to fall on the ground. Then, I was suddenly pulled under water, where I had lost consciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm starting Chapter 5 and I only need 7 more chapters to go. Since I have no internet connection, I'm writing based on memory (this will force me to second guess myself now). Also, I made Francisco into a complete asshole now. Funny since I was a bit torn on who to write about: Tybalt or Francisco. Then I found out there was more Francisco then Tybalt fanfics, so you know how that went.**

I could feel myself floating but I could breathe which meant I was no longer under water. I tried thinking back to what had happened but all I remember was that I was pulled into the water and everything from there was a complete blank. I should be panicking right now, someone had tried to drown me but I was strangely calm and assured that I was safe. I then felt something feather like caress my skin and it felt familiar. However it soon stopped when I started opening my eyes.

I squinted a bit, the glare of the sunlight blinding me for a moment. Wasn't it night? How long had I been unconscious? My vision started clearing up and I could see that a huge tree dominated my sight, the same tree from my dream. However, this tree looked a lot worse. I felt a wave of sadness hit me. Why was the tree dying so sad to me?

I tried to reach out but my body wasn't listening to me. The only thing I could move was my head and I did so to study my surroundings. The tree sat in the middle of what appeared to be a courtyard that I couldn't help but feel that I was here before. I kept looking around to notice that I was floating in a grove of roots, as if I was being cocooned by them. The rustle of footsteps caught my attention and I turned to the right to see the white cloaked figure from my dream. Then I thought, what if all this was just another dream but I was pulled into the water. Why would this be the last thing I see?

The White cloaked figure stood at the edge of where I was, peering down to me as she spoke. _"Without care of the consequences, Escalus always chooses you." _I was back to trying to figure out what she was talking about. Why couldn't she just flat out say what she meant? _"I am the caretaker, the one who nurtures Escalus to keep it alive for my life is attached to its own! With the tragedy of years past, Escalus shall perish if the seed does not return!" _What was she talking about?

_"Yet you stand in my way." _Her hand rose and the tree branch next to her copied her movement. I knew where this was heading but I wasn't afraid. I instinctively knew that no matter how much she wanted to kill me, I would not be harmed. As her arm fell, the branch aiming to strike my heart, I did not fear it. The branch stopped millimeters of where my heart was and she stared at it with disdain. _"Escalus will not hurt you nor will it let harm befall you but mark, my words, if you interfere, it will be your death."_

The branch retreated as she turned to look at the tree. _"Even it it means Escalus shall forever suffer because of it." _She turned to walk away as gentle breeze blew by. This whole experience could be written of as a dream but I knew, deep down, this was no mere dream. It left more questions then answers and I could do was ponder on what should I do? What was my part in all of this? A wave of sleepiness overtook my suddenly and I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. The last thing I heard, a voice that sounded so familiar _"Promise..."_

I didn't know how long I was in this empty void that I figured meant that I was unconscious. I could hear voices, their tone sad and worrying. There were some that sounded downright pissed off but no matter how much I tried to focus, I could never make out the words. The one thing this void was good for was making me question everything that I just learned. However, no amount of sitting will ever give me the answers to my questions. The only thing I could do was try to figure out how to wake myself. Suddenly a light appeared, along with a lot of crying. Who was there? Why were they crying?

I wondered if the light meant I died but I had a gut feeling that it wasn't that. Gathering up the courage I walked towards it and as the light grew brighter and blinded me, I heard Juliet screaming out my name. My body felt heavy but I recognized that I was lying down on a bed. I opened my eyes slowly but everything was so blurry, even though the candle on left provided me light. As my vision started clearing up, I saw a tearful Juliet grasping my left hand in a death like grip.

I squeezed her hand with the little strength I had and that was enough to startle her. She looked up and stared at me in desbelief and I was afraid her mouth her mouth would fall off with how fast it dropped. Next thing I know, I was pulled into a bear hug as Juliet let out mournful wails. I could make out some of the words that she tried to say and I couldn't help but try to pat her back, reassuring her I was safe.

Juliet's tearful wails brought the whole gang into our room and mixed expression of shock and happiness crossed their faces. I was slightly relieved to realize that Francisco was not among them because I didn't have the strength to face him right now. Juliet would not let me go and I couldn't help but let a pang of guilt hit me. I let Francisco get to me and didn't think about how this would effect Juliet. They revealed something to her that caused her to lose consciousness, the weight of that information weighing on her as she slept plus my disappearance, meant that Juliet was in pain. _"I'm fine, Juliet. Are you okay? You didn't develop a fever overnight, did you?" _Wiping away her tears, there was a solemn look on her face.

_"Lydia, what was the last thing you remember?" _Even though to them, it looked like I was having a hard time remembering, I didn't know if I should tell them. Could I really get them involved in this? I thought better about it and they would probably think it was a bad dream. Besides the one in danger was me and whatever this seed was and I could not knowingly put them in danger, especially when I had the feeling the white cloaked girl was strong. _"I remember tripping and falling into the river. I lost consciousness after I hit the water."_ The news was a bit of a shocker and based on their reactions, I was not going to like what they were going to say. _"Lydia, we spent 4 days looking for you. Francisco somehow managed to find you floating in one of the canals and took you out of the water. However, you weren't breathing. Francisco feared that we had lost you but he felt your heartbeat, as faint as it was. He took you to Lancelot, who managed to get you breathe but you've spent a whole week unconscious. We feared you would never wake up"_

The news shocked me. I was asleep for a week? But Francisco found my 4 days after I fell in the water. I should have been dead! Then I remembered something. _"Escalus will not hurt you nor will it let harm befall you…_Did Escalus keep me alive until I was found? Why would that tree, who its guardian wanted me killed, protect me. Despite my thoughts, I took a good look at Juliet and noticed that she didn't look so well, like she was carrying a heavy burden.

I turned to the other and asked to talk with Juliet alone for a bit. They all complied but Conrad was the only one who understood what I was going to do. Once I was sure they were all far away, I tried sitting up. _"Lydia, you can't be forcing yourself like this."_ I shook my head. _"I feel better talking when I'm sitting up. Now, enough about me, what about you? Something is obviously troubling you besides what happened to me" _Juliet seemed hesitant to tell me but I took hold of her hand again. _"You don't need to tell me but know that I will always be here if you need me." _ She contemplated my words and slowly told me everything that had happened since that night.

I was not prepared for what spilled out of her mouth. Juliet was the last Capulet and heir to the throne. Montague had killed all her family and, after witnessing her mother and father be killed by him, she ended up losing her memory. The reason why she had to disguise herself as a boy was because Montague was looking for a girl, not a boy. She then explained what happened with Lancelot, how he was accused of helping the Red Whirlwind, how she rescued him with the help of Romeo. The came the worst part. Romeo, the person Juliet was so in love with, ended up being the son of Montague.

Juliet was close to tears and I pulled her into a hug. Comforting her, she kept on talking. She didn't know if she could continue the pursuit of revenge for the Capulet family after discovering that fact. She told me that Romeo knew that Odin and Juliet were one and the same. It happened when she went to go visit her parents graves when she went disguised as Odin. Romeo somehow ended up being there and it suddenly started pouring. The both of them took cover in an abandoned cottage nearby. It was there that Romeo discovered the truth but he wasn't mad or angry.

It was at this part that she started talking, her sniffles filling the silence. However, I knew Juliet well and I knew there was something she wasn't telling me, something that was weighing on her mind. She probably thought it was best that I didn't know, for the sake of my health. For the sake of Juliet's, I didn't question her about it. It a while before Juliet broke the hug and wiped away her tears.

She told me that she hadn't forgiven Francisco for what he had caused. Curio had told them the reason why I had run out like that and everyone blamed Francisco for it. I shook my head, _"It's my fault. I shouldn't have let his words get to me. It's not like it was the first time he said them." _Juliet was seriously mad. _"That does not give him the right to treat you like he did…you almost…" _I patted Juliet's head. _"That's in the past now. I suggest you go and get some rest yourself. It looks like you haven't slept in days."_

She wanted to argue even though she knew I was right. I told her I would be fine and, after some convincing she went to her side and laid on her bed. It was a couple of minuted later that I heard her soft breathing, telling me she had fallen asleep. Even though she was right next to me, I couldn't help but feel so alone. I slipped under the covers, trying to block the outside world. What good would it do to worry over something I had no control over? It was best to gather my strength and then do something because in my state, I couldn't even stand without tumbling over. It took a while before I managed to keep my eyes closed and even then, I could still hear the ruffling of feet near my door.


End file.
